Comments on: Changes in the CBA Could Help the Fanshttp://KnickerBlogger.Net/changes-in-the-cba-could-help-the-fans/
Statistical Analysis. Humor. Knicks.Tue, 03 Mar 2015 17:11:53 +0000hourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=4.0.1By: Mike K. (KnickerBlogger)http://KnickerBlogger.Net/changes-in-the-cba-could-help-the-fans/#comment-276137
Thu, 07 May 2009 13:42:46 +0000http://www.knickerblogger.net/?p=1554#comment-276137jimjamj – then in essence this would make an imbalance between the teams that can afford to pay guys not to play and the ones that can’t. Teams like New York and L.A. would be able to trade for guys with noxious contracts (along with some young player/draft pick) then simply cut the offending contract. It would be like a tax for poor teams – if they want to get rid of that bad contract they have to send a prospect/draft pick.
]]>By: jimjamjhttp://KnickerBlogger.Net/changes-in-the-cba-could-help-the-fans/#comment-276136
Thu, 07 May 2009 11:23:10 +0000http://www.knickerblogger.net/?p=1554#comment-276136here’s a solution that nobody has suggested yet: you know how if we were to waive Eddy Curry right now, his contract will still count towards the salary cap until the summer of ’11, even though, hypothetically, his contract has already been paid in full? Make that not the case. As in, if a contract is waived or bought out, it comes off of the salary cap right away. That fixes most of the problems: it’s not completely unfair to the players, the way the NFL’s contracts are, and although it doesn’t let GMs undo mistakes, because the players still must be payed, it means that the mistakes of the past don’t constrain a team in the present.
]]>By: Ted Nelsonhttp://KnickerBlogger.Net/changes-in-the-cba-could-help-the-fans/#comment-276132
Wed, 06 May 2009 16:07:38 +0000http://www.knickerblogger.net/?p=1554#comment-276132“And the NFL has a great way to deal with it (from everyone but that player’s pov), where the NBA doesn’t”

I think that one problem is that the NBA is much more of a player’s league than the NFL. As KnickfaninNJ pointed out earlier, NFL players are generally easier to replace (AI has said repeatedly that he could be an NFL CB and most people seem to agree, Antonio Gates is a Pro Bowler after spending his NCAA career playing basketball, and Nate Robinson had a bunch of interceptions at UW). Plus, there are simply more of them.

If NBA owners institute a 2 year lock-out (which I don’t see them doing in the interest of their own wallets in the first place) I think you’ll have LeBron and the NY Nikes taking on Kobe and the LA Adidas and DWade and the Chicago Converses. In other words even a guy like me who believes in efficiency, defense, team play, and the little things is willing to say that stars drive the NBA (for better or worse). In the event of a lock-out, lesser players could go to Europe and still live very comfortably. I see Congress, Obama, and/or the Supreme Court getting involved and the players winning.

]]>By: Mike K. (KnickerBlogger)http://KnickerBlogger.Net/changes-in-the-cba-could-help-the-fans/#comment-276125
Tue, 05 May 2009 01:02:34 +0000http://www.knickerblogger.net/?p=1554#comment-276125You may be right about the running backs. I don’t know the NFL well enough to notice something like that. I assume you some are getting dropped who could probably still play but no longer at a level that justifies their salaries? If so, then I would agree, the lack of committed contracts is having an effect.

The analogy isn’t perfect, because high paid NFL running backs are usually productive until their body wears out. In the NBA overpaid players are more likely the result of poor GMing than injury. But the end result is similar: being handcuffed to a player financially who isn’t producing in games. And the NFL has a great way to deal with it (from everyone but that player’s pov), where the NBA doesn’t

You may be right about the running backs. I don’t know the NFL well enough to notice something like that. I assume you some are getting dropped who could probably still play but no longer at a level that justifies their salaries? If so, then I would agree, the lack of committed contracts is having an effect.

]]>By: ess-doghttp://KnickerBlogger.Net/changes-in-the-cba-could-help-the-fans/#comment-276123
Mon, 04 May 2009 22:09:25 +0000http://www.knickerblogger.net/?p=1554#comment-276123Call me crazy (or a Knick fan), but I would love to see the league eliminate the cap all together. The bidding wars for the best 3, 4 players would be fantastical events unto themselves. The better teams would return to the major markets (no more San Antonio in the finals!) And the greatest players would be on the biggest stages (NY,LA) and get to maximize their endorsement potential. It would be better for player and owners (ticket prices would be another story.) Teams could just cut their mistakes and move on if they have the money. Smaller market teams would have to play smarter, infuse the roster with european players, and spend smartly (Like the Oakland A’s.)
]]>By: Marc Rhttp://KnickerBlogger.Net/changes-in-the-cba-could-help-the-fans/#comment-276122
Mon, 04 May 2009 20:53:25 +0000http://www.knickerblogger.net/?p=1554#comment-276122Excellent topic and I agree that it would definitely be better for fans (especially Knicks fans) if there was more player movement.

That said, I take slight issue with some of your statements:

It will take the Knicks two years post Isiah Thomas (on top of the four years with Zeke at the helm) to be able to get out from the salary cap landslide he created.

In fairness, Isiah inherited an incredibly large salary cap mess from Layden (cursed be his name) that would have extended through almost all of Isiah’s years here even if Isiah did nothing. But, of course, Isiah made it worse.

A highly sought-after player signing a long term contract [in the NFL] will usually receive a signing bonus, thus providing him with financial security even if he is cut before the end of his contract.

But that signing bonus is prorated to the years of the contract. So an NFL player with a nonguaranteed contract, but a big signing bonus, still has a massive effect on the team’s cap once he’s cut. I believe Washington has paid an enormous amount of its cap to players that no longer play for the team.

For instance if teams weren’t bound by large contracts to undeserving players, there would be more money to sign those who merit it. In other words, some of the younger Knicks might be splitting Stephon Marbury’s $19M per year.

Well, I’m all in favor of that but it would require another significant rule change. The only Knicks that are underpaid (arguably of course) are those that are still on the rookie salary scale. I can’t see the NBA owners getting rid of that little perk and, unsurprisingly, the NFL commish is trying to put a rookie scale in his league.

]]>By: Ted Nelsonhttp://KnickerBlogger.Net/changes-in-the-cba-could-help-the-fans/#comment-276121
Mon, 04 May 2009 20:39:38 +0000http://www.knickerblogger.net/?p=1554#comment-276121Great post. I like the point about getting the money in the hands of deserving players.

One worry I have about the hard cap is that it will reward poorly run franchises relative to the current system. As a fan who has little control over how NBA franchises are run this doesn’t seem so bad, especially when poorly run teams can luck into some lottery magic or a lopsided trade and emerge as contenders anyway.

Considering that NBA franchises are already monopolies in a financial sense, I’m not sure it’s a good idea for the quality of the league to offer incentives for teams to be inefficient both financially and basketball wise.

I’d really like to see some competition added to the league with a European style, worst two teams fall to a B league and best two teams from the B league are promoted. This would open franchises up to basketball competition (no tanking, drown-out rebuilding) and financial competition from better run organizations in the same city. Local governments would no longer be expected to waste tax dollars building new stadiums, or at least if they did multiple teams could play there–the best team eventually replacing the others. A real minor league system would complement this approach.

“In the NFL, the pool of available replacements seems closer to being able to play at the NFL level. Teams seem to find replacements for injured players that can go in and play pretty quickly.”

Very true. There are important differences between the NFL and NBA that I think warrant discussion.

]]>By: Mike K. (KnickerBlogger)http://KnickerBlogger.Net/changes-in-the-cba-could-help-the-fans/#comment-276120
Mon, 04 May 2009 18:49:08 +0000http://www.knickerblogger.net/?p=1554#comment-276120I agree that the turnaround in the NFL is partly due to the shorter life of an NFL player. But I think the contract situation helps greatly. Look at how many great RBs are just discarded after their usefulness is up. If they were going by the NBA’s rules, those guys would be eating up cap space. At it’s not just the bad teams that use it. Look at how New England dumps their veterans once they find cheaper replacements.

And if I were the players I would fight for non-guaranteed contracts over shorter contracts. When you’re worth $10M a year, and you can get a 10.5% increase, you want as long a deal as possible, so the added raise nets you a much larger deal.

]]>By: cgreenehttp://KnickerBlogger.Net/changes-in-the-cba-could-help-the-fans/#comment-276119
Mon, 04 May 2009 18:15:51 +0000http://www.knickerblogger.net/?p=1554#comment-276119A couple of things. (Great topic btw). 1) Couldn’t you split the difference and make 1/2 of each contract guaranteed on years/$. If we sign Jerome to a 6/$30M than we are on the hook for at least 3/$15M. 2) One of the essential tenets of the CBA was that teams KEEP the good players they draft and obtain long term. That is the whole purpose of the Bird rights. A hard cap NFL style would sully that. Plus IMO the NFL parity is only good for the bad teams not as good for the good ones. Dynasties and long term success have generally been good for leagues. The NFL is denied that to a degree because a team MUST let go of core players each year in order to accommodate the cap and new acquisitions.
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